Grace
by Dahunts
Summary: A story of compassion, friendship, drama, and love. AN: Any comments or anything would be greatly appreciated. If this goes well, I'll upload a new chapter every week(?) Also feel free to message me directly to talk! I take no credit for any lyrics or anything found to be real. I may have also left a hidden reference or two for other animes as well. See if you can find them.
1. Chapter 1

I'll never forget the day I met her. Cold winds and much snowfall made it quite a bitter winter; And I was without a home. I had been evicted from my apartment some time ago, due to the rent I simply didn't have money to pay with. I was sort of a writer, so pay was somewhat scarce. No one really thought my works were worth their time; Though, with each new writing I attempted, I poured my heart and soul into it. But it was of no use. I was now taking shelter in an alley, doing whatever I could to keep warm. But as fate would have it, she found me.

"What are you doing here in weather like this?" she asked me. She wore a black dress that practically defined elegance. Her long, gorgeous dark hair was styled into twin tails, which rested on both of her shoulders. The front of her hair was styled in such a way that it covered her left eye. from what I could see, her right eye was red. But it wasn't an unattractive, bloodshot red; It was of a beautiful crimson red color. From this, I felt it safe to assume her left eye was the same. Her hands looked so soft, warm, and inviting. Her face was absolutely flawless; I couldn't find a single blemish. And last but certainly not least was her harmonic voice which resembled a symphony composed by Beethoven. I was ashamed to so much as be in her presence.


	2. Chapter 2

"I...I..." I was unable to speak due to the shame I felt and the bitter cold that surrounded me. "Perhaps if I took you out of the cold, you could tell me?" she assured. From this, a small spark of hope was set within me. "would you be so kind as to accompany me to the nearest cafe', sir?" she continued. It had been a while since I had eaten a meal made specifically for me. I gave her a nod, though, I started to wonder about her motive for helping me.

I followed her to a cafe' of her choosing. Once we were settled inside, she felt it appropriate to question me again, and I was more than willing to comply. "What is your name?" she asked me. I cleared my throat. "My... name is Shawn. Ecker." I gave her a slight nod of assurance. "May I ask you of your name, ma'am?" From the looks of her, I assumed she was involved in the more elegant side of life, so I thought it would be best to keep more of a formal tone to my speech. "My name is Tokisaki Kurumi. You may refer to me as Kurumi." she smiled. Even her name was exquisite. The name seemed native to Japan, though, (and I mean no disrespect), she didn't exactly look Japanese. I had observed her beautiful eye, and I could not see any resemblance to Japan or any Asian heritage.

"Please excuse my asking Ms. Kurumi, but how did you get your name? If I'm not mistaken, it seems Japanese, but we're in America. Plus, you don't exactly appear Japanese..." A waitress returned with a plate of fine Italian pasta with a side of bread and a cup of water for me and a cup of tea for her. I didn't care much for tea. She simply sipped her tea, almost as though I never asked her the question. "Please, forgive me." I felt apologizing would be best, even if I hadn't done anything wrong. I definitely wouldn't want to offend the woman who had just given me my first decent meal in a while. "Why are you apologizing?" she began. "You were simply making observations and showing interest." she smiled warmly at me. "My name simply has, always been."


	3. Chapter 3

I did not understand what she meant by this, nor did I feel it was my position to ask. I looked at my plate of food. It was definitely more appetizing than anything I had found in the garbage cans. Had she not been there, I would probably tear into the food like some sort of savage beast. But I was in the presence of a lady; a refined one by the looks of it. I picked up the fork beside my plate and proceeded to take small bites of my pasta, being very careful to fully chew and swallow. I then picked up my napkin and wiped my mouth. This process went on for about several minutes. As I was eating, I glanced up and saw her watching me, grinning. I pretended I didn't notice.

I finished my meal a short time later. "Thank you for your generosity, Ms. Kurumi." I said after wiping my mouth for the last time. "But can I ask," I continued. "why would you help a person like me? Why not continue about your business like everyone else?" She took another sip of her tea before answering. "Well, if I just walked past you, letting you freeze and starve, what kind of person would that make me?" she asked, giving a warm smile.

If only people could hear her, they would be put to shame.

Though I know the question was rhetorical, I couldn't help but answer. "I wouldn't blame you if you kept walking. You'd just be like everyone else. I would just see it as normal." "It's okay not to be normal, Shawn." she quickly responded. "In fact, I'm quite different from the people you see around you.." I smiled slightly and nodded. I assumed she was referring to her generosity. Of course, I've been wrong before.

"So, Shawn." she began. "How are you going to repay me for the meal?" I looked at my now-empty plate and thought about it. The question seemed strange, since I was homeless. I had nothing. And she knew it. But she was within her right to ask me. I looked at her. "I have no money or material possessions, as you can see... But I swear my loyalty to you. Wherever you go, I will follow. Whatever you ask, I'll do." "And that is precisely what I wanted!" she suddenly exclaimed.

"And that's how it began.." Shawn finished. He sat there in that dimly-lit room, waiting for the man across from him to ask another question. "Right. So, what happened next?" asked the man, writing small notes in his notepad.


	4. Chapter 4

Once the bill had been paid, we left the cafe'. "Your service to me will start now, Shawn." She told me. "Of course. Did you have something for me to do now?" I asked. "Yes, actually.." She began. She then leaned in close to me and whispered her request. I was taken back at first, but I was in no position to question her. Why would she want me to help her lure a stranger into an alley with her? She didn't seem like _that_ kind of woman. I responded to her with a plan, unsure of what her intent was.

We waited by a nearby alley together. I firmly gripped her arm as she feigned a face of helplessness. It was about three in the afternoon (according to a nearby antique shop which displayed clocks in front of the window), and it was lightly snowing. There was almost no one walking along the sidewalks. A man suddenly began walking along the sidewalk we were on. I glanced at Kurumi and she shot me a quick smirk. "Hey, you." I called out to him, not even sure if the plan would work. "What is it?" he replied. He was a young man; I'd say he was in his late twenties. He was Caucasian, had long, light, straight blonde hair, and hazel/brown eyes. He wore torn jeans, a light jacket, and a baseball cap. (In all honesty, just your typical douchebag.) "Lookin' for some fun?" I continued. "Got a bitch just waiting for it right here." Kurumi held her timid, helpless-looking face away from me and the man. The man eyed her down like a lion stalking its prey. It was quite obvious he liked what he saw (And who could blame him?). "How much you chargin'?" he finally asked. "Fifty an hour for everything." I responded. He smiled and nodded. I've never seen a person pull out their wallet so fast. He gave me the money. She led him down into the back of the alley where it was darker and more secluded. I stood there by myself, wondering if she was really going to do what I thought she was thinking. It wasn't long before I heard screams of agony from the man, followed by horrifying tearing and ripping noises. I peered down the alley and had to fight the urge to vomit. Limbs and fingers were scattered everywhere in their own little pools of blood. Every inch of the walls were painted with the poor soul's blood. And the smell. The air was filled with the smell of blood and pure fear. I stopped looking and trembled against the wall, slumping down to my knees. What have I done?

"So, you're admitting that a murder took place that day?" the man asked Shawn. "No, not at all." Shawn answered, sarcastically. The man continued taking notes in his notepad. The lighting in the room was dark, making Shawn feel uncomfortable. The man across from Shawn wore a camouflaged outfit. On his chest was a tag with the word "Commander" imprinted on it, making Shawn even more nervous. "Continue." he ordered.

When she had reappeared from the alley, she found me, slumped against a wall, panicking. "My, my." she said, casually. "I knew it may frighten you, but I didn't think I'd see you like this.." I looked up at her. "What..was that?" I asked, struggling to form words through my trembling. "I absorbed his life force." She responded, still casual in everything she said. "Although, you shouldn't feel too bad for him." she continued. "He would have done unspeakable things to me if he could. People like that don't belong in this world." I managed to climb back to my feet. "What are you?" I asked, managing to speak normally again. "Why, I'm just a young lady trying to survive in a cruel, cruel world!" she joked. She let out a small laugh before continuing. "Perhaps I'll explain later. Let's find a hotel now; It is getting late after all." She then held up a wallet that would belong to a male. From this, I gathered it must have belonged to the pour soul who spent his final minutes trying to have a good time; Who is now splattered all across the walls. His wallet seemed quite large (for your average douchebag). I nodded. Besides, I was too far down Shit Creek to say "no" now. I remembered he also paid me before his demise, so we had more than enough money for at least one night in a hotel.


	5. Chapter 5

We managed to find a nearby hotel with reasonable prices, and situated ourselves on the fifth floor. (She insisted on having a good view). It was about seven when we reached our room. The room itself hate two beds, two nightstands and a small tv. The carpet was soft and sort of fluffy. The bathroom, which consisted of a toilet, a shower and a sink with a mirror above it looked pretty clean. Finally, two large windows rested on the wall on the side of the room opposite to the door. Through the windows, I could see a gorgeous view of the city; Well, as gorgeous as a light, polluted snowfall would be. It almost made me forget what had happened earlier. I realized it had been a while since I was in a room so comfortable; a place I could comfortably sleep, even if it was just for a night. I also realized this is the first time anyone had showed me such kindness, all things considered.

I chose the bed closest to the window. I figured the scenery would help ease any tension I had. "The hotel is absolutely beautiful!" she began. "I sure am a lucky lady for having such a thoughtful man pay for this!" she joked.

I was less than amused. I didn't answer her.

She could tell how I felt and simply shrugged, smiling at her own joke. "So, I suppose you want to talk about it, don't you?" She asked as she sat on her bed. I looked to her and nodded. "If I may, I want to know everything about you." I told her. "Oh Shawn! You flatter me!" she joked.

I was less than amused.

She sighed. "You're not a very fun person are you? Well, since you've sworn your loyalty to me, I suppose you have a right to know." I listened closely. "I am what's known as a Spirit." she began. "An extraordinary being from a different dimension. I possess power you can not fathom. But when I use my power, it drains my time, or life. Whichever you wish to call it. When all my time is depleted, I will be no more. Even now, my time is ticking away." She then lifted her hair which covered her left eye. Her eye did not match the right one, which was a beautiful crimson-red. Her eye was that of a gold-yellow color. And her pupil resembled the face of a grandfather clock, which was moving as any ordinary analog clock would.

There was something about her left eye that was magnificent. There was something about it that soothed my soul. I found myself almost in a hypnotic state, gazing at her eye. She noticed my gaze and smiled before lowering her hair again.


	6. Chapter 6

"The only way for me to survive is if I consume people; Like that man from earlier. Though, I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it. I think it's fun to play with your food. And the taste..." she continued. "How long have you been alive?" I interrupted. "Why Shawn! You never ask a woman her age!" she joked.

I was less than amused.

She shrugged and continued.

"I honestly can't remember. By human standards, 16? Maybe 17 or 18? Maybe I've always been. I do not know. The only thing I pertaining to my origin that I remember is coming to this world, which was followed by a tremendous catastrophe." "You're referring to a Spacial Quake?" I interrupted again. She nodded.

A Spacial Quake: It's hard for me to say exactly what it is, or how they happen, but I do know that when they happen, you need to get the fuck out of the area. Large scale or small, they obliterate anything unlucky enough to get caught in them. And of course, as fate would have it, I was in the same room as one of the main causes of such a catastrophe; Kurumi Tokisaki.

"All right." the man nodded, still writing frantically in his notepad. "So basically, she's a cannibalistic monster from a different dimension that can cause Space Quakes?" the man asked. Shawn clenched his fists a bit, still trying to keep his composure. "Don't call her that. She isn't a monster to me.." Shawn insisted. "I wouldn't have made it this far if it wasn't for her." Shawn finished. The man pulled out a pack of Marlboro cigarettes and a zippo. "You smoke?" he asked before putting a cigarette to his mouth and lighting it. "Occasionally" Shawn answered, calming down a bit. The man passed the pack and lighter. Shawn put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it. "Continue." the man commanded as he picked his pen back up.

Obviously, it was a lot for me to take in. I laid on my bed, facing up at the ceiling. "And how do you feel about all this Shawn?" she asked me. "I don't know." I started. "Who am I to be so lucky; To have a being from a different dimension, not only be in my presence, but to feed me and give me a place to sleep?" She seemed almost surprised by my answer. "However." I continued. "Though I appreciate you helping me; The murders.. I'm just conflicted; Confused about how I feel about all this.." She approached me and placed her hand on my cheek. The same hand she used to kill with was so soft warm, and inviting against my face. I looked into her eye. "Regardless of how you feel Shawn, you've sworn your loyalty to me." She smiled, taking her hand off my face. "It's getting late. Maybe some sleep would help you?" I looked over at a clock located above the tv. It was about seven thirty. Time seemed to be passing by faster than usual. It may have been early, but I didn't mind. After all, it was the first time in a long time that I was able to sleep in a bed.

She turned off the lamp closer to her bed as I faced the windows. I shut my eyes.

But I could feel her. Staring at me. Watching me. I did my best to ignore it and get some sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

I awoke the next morning fairly early. I rubbed my eyes a bit before looking out the window. The sun that was just peering over the horizon exposed a light fog on the ground and some incoming dark clouds in the sky. Anyone who had experienced a winter like this one could tell that those particular clouds that I was seeing meant there was a chance for some incoming snow. It didn't really surprise me. I looked over at the clock on the wall. It was about six. I looked over at the other bed in the room to find that my murderous companion had already awoken and gotten out of bed. I got out of my bed to look for her, but soon found out she was in the bathroom, taking a shower. I noticed her dress was folded neatly on her nightstand next to her bed.

The water to the shower stopped . I quickly walked over to the bathroom door and knocked to talk to her. "Ms. Kurumi?" I called to her. "Yes Shawn? Is everything all right?" I heard, muffled by the door. "I'll be leaving the room for a minute to give you some privacy." I assured her. "Thank you Shawn." I heard, followed by the sound of a shower curtain being moved. I then walked out of the room, happy that I was able to avoid an awkward situation. But I wondered. Could it be that she honestly thought I would still be sleeping, or did she not care at all? As I pondered the question, I took the elevator down to the lobby. I looked through some large windows, which showed what little sun there was at the moment. I noticed that even though there was still some snow on the ground, it was beginning to melt. "Excuse me? Sir?" I heard from behind me. I saw a young woman working behind the desk used for checking people in. "It's still pretty early. Why are you awake, may I ask?" she asked me. "Well, I was getting kind of hungry, so I just found myself wandering around for something to eat." I answered. "My apologies sir. I guess we forgot to tell you that we provide room service here. There should be some menus in the nightstands next to the beds." she responded. "Oh, okay. Thank you." I then made my way back to the elevator, sure that my cannibalistic companion was now dressed.

I finally made it back to the room we were staying in. I knocked on the door and called her name before entering the room. Kurumi stood in the middle of the room, finishing getting dressed. "Perfect timing!" she exclaimed. "Be a dear and come zip up the back of my dress for me, please?" She then turned her back to me and lifted her hair, revealing a zipper that was set at her lower back. I approached her and began to pull the zipper up. As I was zipping up her dress, the smell of her hair caught my attention. It smelled like a ripened field of freshly grown strawberries. If I was a sucker for anything, it was definitely strawberries. The smell was so... intoxicating; I nearly lost myself. I quickly finished zipping her dress and made my way towards my nightstand. "Would we have enough funds to order some breakfast?" I asked as I pulled out a menu. "I don't see why not." she responded, fixing her hair into a ponytail; Though, she still had some of her bangs covering her special eye. "And would you like anything Ms. Kurumi?" I asked. "No, my meal from yesterday should keep me content." she said, giving me a warm smile. I wasn't sure if she was joking or not. I felt it best to ignore it. I called the front desk and placed my order. A short time later, my breakfast, which consisted of two eggs scrambled, white toast and some bacon arrived.

She watched me as I took my time eating my meal, smiling.


	8. Update

[This isn't part of the story, but I felt as though I needed to update it. This is just a quick thank you to all of you who have stuck with the story this far! I never really thought it would get to this point. Recently, my story, with all chapters combined, has reached 1,000 views! I know it may not mean that much to the writers who post like, fifty stories a day, but this really means a lot to me. I hope the rest of the story turns out as smoothly as I hope it will and I hope you all enjoy what's left to come. Friendly reminder to keep your eyes open to references to other animes and stuff like that.]

Again. Thank you all so much!

-Dahunts, a.k.a, Shawn Ecker


	9. Chapter 8

After finishing my meal, she finally spoke. "Perhaps some new clothing will do you some good? Maybe I'll even find something for myself?" I looked down at what I was wearing. Torn jeans, filthy hoodie, disgusting shirt and putrid socks. (I won't even go into details about my underwear.) It was obvious that I was in need of some new attire. "Would you be willing to spend that kind of money on me? You've already done so much for me." I asked. "Only if I get to see you in it." she said, smiling. I took it as another one of her jokes, and gave her a slight smile in return. We left the room, making sure to lock it behind us. I didn't realize it at the time, but that hotel room would become my new home.

We walked out of the hotel lobby. It was still as misty as it was before. The snow that recently fell was still lying on the ground and by the looks of the clouds overhead, I wouldn't be surprised if it snowed again. We made our way to a nearby clothing store, not far down the road from where the hotel was.

I remember the unpleasant eeriness of that day.

I noticed there weren't many people around; There weren't even any cars on the road. The thought bothered me a bit, but it was even weirder inside the store.

We walked into the store and I instantly admired how large it was. It was also pleasantly warm and pretty clean (for the most part). I looked around and saw a few couples shopping together; Always staying within arm's length of each other. But that's why it was strange. I noticed the same pattern with every shopper; They were never alone and always remained so close to each other. As Kurumi walked off to go look at clothing, I noticed a local newspaper rack by the entrance of the store. And of course, right there, on the front page headline was the title "Stay off the Streets!" I picked up the newspaper and skimmed through it a bit. As it turns out, the local police examined the scene of a recent murder; The murder I helped take place in just the day before. With the mess my cannibalistic companion had left, I wasn't surprised the police would soon find it.

I felt like such a piece of shit.

In any case, it at least gave me an explanation as to why there were so few people out and about that day.


	10. Chapter 9

I put the newspaper back and caught up with Kurumi a little further down the store. "Shawn, go pick out a pair of pants to wear. I'm going to pick out your shirt." she instructed. I nodded and walked directly towards the jeans. Rain or shine, heat or snow; No matter what day, month, or season, I always prefer to wear jeans. The pair I was wearing then were definitely worn out. Dirt stains and tears down the shins certainly weren't anything to be proud of. I picked out a pair of Denim loose fit in my size and even got a belt for it. On the way back, I found a light, black zip-up hoodie on a rack. I didn't think Kurumi would mind, so I took it.

I walked back to Kurumi. She held out a shirt with buttons down the middle. Inside was a T-shirt sewn into the top shirt. The sleeves had buttons in case I wanted to keep them rolled up. To top it off, it was a nice charcoal-black.

I have to admit, she knew my taste in clothing pretty well.

"Go try them on." she instructed again. I nodded and took the clothes to a changing booth. I locked the door and quickly got undressed. I was pretty eager to get into some new clothes, but I realized I would also need a new pair of socks and underwear. I knew it would be a little embarrassing to admit to her, but I also knew she'd understand the situation I was in. I put on the pants and tightened them with the belt, followed by the new shirt she picked out for me. The T-shirt inside was incredibly comfortable, especially compared to the grimy grease-trap I had on before. I then buttoned up the chest and the sleeves after rolling them up. It felt so fresh to have a change of apparel on. I kept the clothing on to show Kurumi, but as I left the stall, there she stood, waiting in front of the door.

"You wear them well." she said, holding her hand to her cheek. "er, thank you. But.." I was hesitant to tell her I needed even more clothes, such as boxers and socks. "I figured you would need these as well." she interrupted as she held out a pack of boxers and socks.

It's as if she was inside my head.

"Thank you Ms. Kurumi.." I said, obviously embarrassed. "Now go back and change into your old clothes. I need your help with something." she told me. I nodded and re-entered to booth. I guess it was time to go back to my old clothes and filthy hoodie.

I left the booth, carrying all the new clothes. Carrying that much seemed like a burden, so I picked up a nearby basket and used it to carry my new outfit. I then wandered around the store for a short while and eventually found Kurumi. She was standing near some bras and panties, admiring them. I was a little hesitant to walk up to her there, but she said she needed my help, so there was nothing I could really do about it. I took a deep breath and walked up to her.

"Hey" I called out, still hesitant with what she needed help with. And of course, it was exactly what I didn't want it to be. She asked me the exact question I didn't want to hear at that point.

"Do you see anything that would look good on me?" she asked innocently.

God dammit.

I took a moment to look through the underwear, trying to keep my cool. Let me just say, I was in no way a pure man. I thought about sex just as much as the next guy. I even found Kurumi to be overwhelmingly attractive. But I didn't want to give her that impression. I swore my loyalty to her; It wouldn't seem right to just hit on her (Not to mention she kills and eats people). But I digress. There were definitely a lot of designs and combinations to be made.

God-fucking-dammit.

Most of the bras there were front-fastening. There was one that, let's just say, caught my attention. It was white-laced bra that seemed decent enough. "How about that one?" I suggested while pointing to it. "That one is too small." she said. "Sorry, but I don't know your size." I insisted, hoping to get out of the situation.

"36 C." she assured me.

It was then that I realized she had little to no shame.

I tried to act casual and continued searching through the bras. One in particular caught my eye; I could have sworn I've seen it before.

**It was a regular white, back-hook bra that had the design of angel wings on the front.** It looked so familiar to the point that it was really bothering me. But I digress.

"What about that one?" I said, pointing to it. She laughed a bit. "We both know I'm far from an angel! Besides, white doesn't really suit me." I could see what she was saying. By the looks of her, I would say black was more her style. I searched carefully and found a black back-hook bra with a decorative lacing on the front. I took it off the rack and gave it to her, confident that she would like it. She smiled, nodded and took it. As for the panties, I found a matching pair of black with a lace design matching the bra. I picked it out and gave it to her. She smiled again and took it.

"Now, was that so hard?" she joked.

I was less than amused.

"Hey, you wouldn't happen to want to see me in them, would you?" she joked again, winking.

Again, I was less than amused.

"You really are no fun Shawn." she said in a childish tone. "Sorry. I'll work on it." I replied. We proceeded to the checkout and bought our new clothes. I noticed we were running a little low of the cash on hand. We then left the store; I was carrying all our new clothes in a bag. "Shawn." she started, looking to me. "I have something I must take care of. Go buy anything you need that is hygiene related." She then handed me the last of the money we had. "I'll meet you back at the hotel." she continued. "Oh, and do something with that beard of yours." she finished, smiling. I felt my face. Being homeless, I didn't really worry about things such as shaving. I smiled and nodded. "Thank you again Ms. Kurumi." I assured her. I then began to look for a nearby pharmacy.

But what was that business she had to take care of? I was afraid to ask.

I turned around to see her, but she was already gone.


	11. Chapter 10

It didn't take me long to find a pharmacy nearby. I walked in and found there were only a few people in there as well. Within a couple minutes, I was able to get a toothbrush, toothpaste, some body soap, shampoo, a razor, some shaving gel, and even a pair of nail clippers. I proceeded to the checkout and was even able to get a candy bar in front of the register. The guy behind the register was quick to help me out. I guess he didn't feel safe; With the recent murder and all. I left the store with only a few dollars left.

I made my way back to our hotel room, finishing the candy bar on the way there. I entered the room to find that Kurumi wasn't done with whatever she had to do. I figured that since I was alone, I'd use that time to groom myself. I went into the bathroom to shave, making sure I threw the discarded hair into the garbage can next to the sink. I then took a shower using the shampoo and body wash I bought earlier. For the first time in a long time, I smelled and felt clean. I got out of the shower and dried myself using a towel provided by the hotel. I knew using a public towel wasn't the best idea, but at this point, I wasn't complaining. I then opened up my packets of boxers and socks. I dressed myself in my new clothes. I put my old clothes in the bag, but I made sure to take out Kurumi's new clothes first; Wouldn't want them getting dirty. I laid her clothes on her bed. Then I brushed my teeth, which, in itself, felt so sanitizing. Finally, I cut my nails, making sure to collect them and throw them away.

Thanks to her, I finally felt human again.

By the time I finished everything, Kurumi returned; A satisfied grin on her face. In her hand, she held a **Fender** acoustic guitar; Some blood was stained into the body of it. "Well, don't you look nice and clean!" she exclaimed.

I forced a slight smile.

"So, what was it you had to take care of?" I asked, not entirely sure I wanted the answer. "Oh, yes. I was hungry again. I went out and found a man who was abusing a poor, defenseless dog. I took care of him quickly. But unfortunately, there was a witness, so I couldn't let him get away. This was his instrument." She held up the guitar. "This happened at a park; Nice little secluded area. It's just a shame it was too cold for any birds to be there. The birds around here are pretty."

I was less than amused.

In fact, I was just shy of being mortified. The same person who gave me food, clothing, shelter, and a feeling of humanity slaughtered three people in the span of two days. I had to fight these feelings of guilt and compassion. I had to start dehumanizing myself if I wanted to survive around her. What else could I do?

They sat there; The soldier still frantically writing in his notepad. "So that's three confirmed kills?" asked the soldier. Shawn nodded. The pack of cigarettes was empty. Both of them could probably use some more. "At this rate, every person gone missing will be accounted for. Continue." the soldier commanded.

She walked over to her bed and sat down; Across from her was me on my bed. "Do you know how to play?" she asked, handing me the guitar. I did my best to remain neutral. I used to be able to play a few chords. But now, I'm not so sure."I said, taking the guitar.

I could almost feel the poor soul's final moments of agony in his instrument.

I tried to put the feeling out of my mind and began playing a bit. Some notes I hit almost perfectly. Others, not so much.

To put it simply, I sounded like shit.

But, she smiled, almost as though she was enjoying herself.

I stopped playing. "...How was that?" I asked, just to make conversation. "...Pretty awful. But that's why practicing is a thing." she said, smiling. I let out a small laugh and nodded.

I looked at the clock on the wall. It read a little past five p.m. Why was time moving so fast lately? "Oh! I almost forgot!" Kurumi began. She held out a small stack of money. "The degenerate who kicked the dog had quite a lot of money. The guitar player, not so much."

The last thing I wanted to think about was the murders. But, at least I know we had money again. "Well, today certainly was eventful." she began. "I'm going to to go take a shower now. Here." She handed me some of the money. "Go get yourself something to eat. You can go take some time for yourself; Maybe take a walk or something. Just don't be out all night. I might get lonely." She smiled. she picked up her clothes and walked into the bathroom before I even had a chance to thank her.


	12. Chapter 11

I left the hotel, almost eager to walk around with some spending money. It was getting pretty dark out; The sun was just setting over the horizon. It began snowing lightly, but I was lucky to be wearing a new, clean hoodie. The first thing I had on my mind was to get some fast food. I wandered around in search of a burger joint, but what I ended up with was an entirely different kind of "joint".

I saw a man standing on the sidewalk ahead of me. I meant to walk by him, but he got my attention. "Hey, lookin' for a high?" he whispered to me. It had been a while since I smoked marijuana, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to smoke again. "What do you have?" I asked. "**Strawberry cough**, **Blue Dreams**, **White Widow**, and **Blackberry kush**. All pre-rolled." he told me. He was a pretty shady guy, but at least I knew he had a variety in his product. "Let me get a nick of **Blue Dreams**." I said, handing him ten dollars. He pulled a bag out of his coat pocket, full of rolled blunts. He took one out and gave it to me. "Got a light?" I asked, putting it to my mouth. He pulled out a zippo and lit it for me. There weren't any people around, so I smoked it right there on the sidewalk.

Before I continue, let it be known that I don't remember everything that happened that night. I remember wandering around until I found a fast food restaurant, trying to walk normally. I remember the food being the best I've ever had; And me ripping into it like a lion pouncing on a zebra. Next, I remember walking on the sidewalk again, the snowfall getting heavier, but I could barely feel it. I think I remember throwing up on the side of the road because I felt dizzy. The next thing I remember is standing outside of my hotel room and walking in. I saw Kurumi sitting on her bed, watching some show about animals.

The room was filled with that same intoxicating strawberry smell she had that morning. I could have sworn I hear birds chirping inside my head.

Whenever I'm around her, I'm able to think a little bit clearer. I remember pulling out a small stuffed dog from my pocket and handing it to her, muttering something along the lines of "A small 'thank you' for everything you've done for me." She seemed to really enjoy the gift, because her face lit up like fireworks on the fourth of July. She smiled and held the dog to her face. "Thank you, Shawn!" she exclaimed. I smiled and nodded. I went into the bathroom and brushed my teeth, which felt absolutely amazing. I then took off my hoodie and fell onto my bed. I didn't even bother checking the clock. I just felt really tired.

I passed out. That night, I had one of the best night's sleep of my life.

I had a dream that night; one I vividly remember. Me and Kurumi were standing on a beach, watching the ocean sway back and forth. Cherry Blossom trees were implanted in the sand all around us; The flowers falling from the branches. I blinked and we were surrounded by a complete, pitch-black darkness. She was standing in front of me, crying. I put my hands on her shoulders and said, "I won't let it happen to you." over and over again. I hugged her and found myself free-falling above the city we were in. I wasn't scared. The falling felt so surreal and tranquil. Falling above me was Kurumi, who was reaching her hand out to me. I reached up to her, trying with everything I had. As soon as our fingers touched, I blinked and found myself walking down a dimly-lit hallway. Kurumi was smiling at the end, waiting for me. I finally made it to her, but put my hands at her waist; her hands wrapped around the back of my neck.

We kissed.

I thought I kept hearing those birds through it all. Finally, we were surrounded by that pitch-black darkness again. We were side by side, holding hands and watching a fire off in the distance. I couldn't tell what was burning. All I could see was that there was a fire. I looked to Kurumi; She looked at me. "Shawn." she called to me. "What?" I answered. "Shawn." she called again. I answered again. And again. And again. And again. This went on for what seemed like forever. I woke up to daylight, Kurumi standing in front of her bed, calling my name.


	13. Chapter 12

"Finally. You're awake." she said. I sat up and stretched out my spine a bit. "were the drugs fun?" she asked. It surprised me that she knew; I thought I hid it pretty well. "How did you know?" I asked her. "well, you gave me one of the funniest looking smiles I have ever seen when you gave me the stuffed dog last night. That, and I could smell whatever it was you smoked all over you." I was pretty embarrassed . I smiled a bit and tilted my head down. "I'm sorry. I guess you didn't expect me to go out and buy drugs with the money you gave me..." She kept silent for a moment. She sighed. "It's fine I suppose. I did tell you to spend your money as you want. Just let me know whatever it is you're doing." She said.

"Yes, Ms. Kurumi."

I went and brushed my teeth again. After finishing, I sat back down on my bed. "I feel like having fun today." She said out of nowhere. I looked at her.

"Anywhere you go, I'll follow." I said in a half-joking tone.

She laughed a bit. "Show me something you humans do for fun." I looked at the clock. It was five minutes to noon. "There's an arcade down the road from here." I suggested. "A what?" She asked. "An arcade. It's filled with cool games and funny noises. I think it's pretty fun." I tried to explain. She seemed unsure, but willing to go. We left the hotel; I was leading.

It didn't take us long to reach the arcade. There wasn't a single person inside, except for a maintenance guy. I looked at Kurumi and I could almost feel the excitement she was giving off. "What's that one?" she asked, pointing to a crane machine. "Go on ahead and check it out. I'll explain when I get there. I have to make change first." I said. She nodded and made a B-line to the machine. I went of to the side to a change machine. I pulled out a couple dollars and had them converted into quarters. Before I could make it back to Kurumi, the maintenance man stopped me. "Weren't you here last night?" he asked. "Huh?" I was pretty confused. "Yeah. You kept mumbling something about winning a gift for your sister or something. You did manage to win a stuffed dog or something from that crane machine there."


	14. Update 2

[Hey everyone! Just thought I'd take a moment to address a couple things. First off, hope you had a great Independence Day! Second, I would like to thank each and every one of you for helping my story reach over 2,000 views! I honestly never expected a turn out like this. It just boggles my mind that over 2,000 people have at least looked at my story. I know 2,000 may not seem like a lot to other users of this site, but to me, it's everything. Thank you all so much. Third, my most recent chapter has a little less than 500 words, but there's a reason for that, and I promise it's for the best. Next chapter SHOULD be pretty interesting. And since the recent chapter was a little scarce, I promise to bulk up the next one a couple hundred words. Lastly, as much as I love writing and everything, I simply don't bring myself to add on as much as I normally do. I'm on summer vacation now, but when I was in school, I would add on to the story with the free time I had out of boredom in between classes. Basically, I may not be able to add on a new chapter EVERY week now. But that does not mean I won't try to make more of an effort. I did promise to bulk up the next chapter, didn't I?]

To those of you who took the time to hear me out and read this, thank you! Your support is really appreciated!

~Dahunts a.k.a Shawn Ecker


	15. Chapter 13

I made my way back to Kurumi, quarters in hand. "Explain this machine to me, Shawn." she demanded. "All right. This is called a skill crane. The goal is to use these buttons here..-" I pointed to the front of the machine. There were two buttons with different arrows. One pointed up, the other pointed right. "...to control the crane there..-" I pointed to the crane itself. "...so that it'll pick up a prize there." I pointed to the storage of the machine, which housed various stuffed animals. "If you successfully grab an animal, the crane will drop it into the slot here." I finished, pointing to the drop-box of the machine. "Seems simple enough. Can I try it now?" she asked. I handed her a quarter.

"How about I return the 'thank you' from last night? Do you see a prize you would like?" she asked. I looked at all of the prizes the machine had to offer. There were little stuffed dogs, cats, lions, pandas, even penguins.

I adore penguins.

"I'd really enjoy having one of those penguins, if you insist." I told her. She nodded and put the quarter in. The machine lit up and played some noises. Kurumi must have enjoyed it, because she smiled pretty widely. Me, on the other hand; I was still trying to work off my high, and the machine was giving me a bit of a headache. She held down the button pointing up and waited for the crane to get to where she wanted it. She then let go of that button and held the one pointing right. When she felt the crane was over the penguin, she let go of the button. The crane lowered and picked it up, only to drop it. "I almost got it!" she exclaimed.

I smiled. "Hey, that was pretty good for your first try." I told her. She looked to me and smiled. But something got her attention near the entrance behind me.

I turned to see a **little girl, **looking at all the machines. She seemed really interested in everything the arcade had to offer. She had **blue hair, a pair of rain boots, and an adorable coat on with rabbit ears on the top. She even had a rabbit puppet with a black button on its right eye on her left hand. **When I looked at her face, I saw the innocence only a child has. She didn't even notice me and Kurumi because of how interested she was in all of the machines. But as adorable as she was, something about her seemed a little bit...off. **She kept talking to her puppet. Like, full conversations, back and forth with it. **"**Yoshino**." Kurumi said to me. "Huh?" I turned to her. "She's a Spirit, like me."

"Great. Another one." The man across from Shawn sarcastically announced. Shawn nodded and yawned.

"A Spirit? Wouldn't that make you both, like, sisters or something?" I asked. "Hardly. That puppet on her hand is **Yoshinon**. Something like a second consciousness to her. She may not seem like it, but she holds great power as well. Of course, not as much as me though. I want her power." she said. "And to take it, I will kill her."

I watched Kurumi's eyes as she stared intently at the child. I was hoping this was just another one of her "jokes", but based on the look in her eyes, I could tell it wasn't. To take the life of such an innocent-looking child; I just couldn't process the thought. "But, I said today was meant for fun, and I meant for the both of us. **Yoshino** can wait I suppose." She told me, still staring at the child, though her eyes seemed less intense. I turned again to see the child was looking back at Kurumi, fear embedded in her eyes. The machine let of some noise to remind us to try again. Kurumi and I looked back to the machine. I turned to look at the child again, but she was gone.

The tension and heat of the arcade was starting to get to me. "Would you mind if I stepped out for a second to get some air?" I asked. "I'll be here when you get back." she said, smiling. I gave her the rest of my quarters and walked out of the arcade to a light snowfall. The snow felt absolutely amazing. I wandered off to the side of the building and started counting how many dollars I had left. As I was counting, a burly-looking man walked up to me.

"Hey. How much you got there?" he asked. "About seven dollars." I told him. "Oh, cool! You should let me have it." he said. "Sorry bud. I need it for a special occasion today." I answered casually.

Oh, I knew what he meant. But I figured I'd do my best to play it off.

"I don't think you understand." he said. I put the money back in my pocket.

"And I don't think you understand." I replied, getting frustrated.

"This is your last chance. Give me your money." He was getting angry.

When you lose everything, all you have left to hold onto is your pride. And if I gave up my money, no matter how small the amount, it would also mean giving up my pride. I looked him dead in the eyes. "Fuck off."

Without warning, he gave me a right hook across my jaw and pushed me against the wall. I lunged back at him, giving him an uppercut to his jaw then following with a left hook to his chest. "Come on!" I yelled, the adrenaline starting to kick in. He gave me a quick jab to my mouth and a left hook to my nose. The taste and smell of blood was getting stronger by the second; My blood. I spit some of it into his eyes and gave a couple quick hooks of my own to his jaw. He quickly wiped off my blood from his face and he saw he was bleeding a bit through his mouth. He then put his leg behind mine and swept me to the ground. My head must have hit the concrete pretty hard, because my vision went blurry for a second. When I was able to focus again, I saw a fist go straight for my right eye. My face was knocked against the ground. What I saw next was a boot heading for my face. I quickly turned my head to try and avoid it, only to have my temple stomped. That's what knocked me out cold.

"Shawn...Shawn.." I heard. When I finally came to, Kurumi was standing in front of me, calling my name, again. When I opened my eyes, everything seemed a little fuzzy at first. When I was able to focus, I noticed Kurumi won the stuffed penguin she was trying for. I tried to play of what happened; Make it seem as though it wasn't a big deal. After all, what kind of servant would I be if I seemed weak? "...Hey, you won the penguin." I said, casually and weakly. "Yeah, I was pretty excited when I finally got it. So excited, in fact, that I felt the need to come out and tell you about it. Needless to say, I'm not as excited as I was five minutes ago..." she said. "Yeah...Sorry you have to see me like this." "It's quite all right. Really. Take your time getting up too." she said, sarcastically. My head was already pounding a lot, and climbing my way back up to my feet didn't help much. I wiped off most of the blood from under my nose before it had a chance to dry any further. "Come on. Let's go back and get you cleaned up." she told me, a more compassionate tone in her voice.

Once we made it back inside our hotel room, I went straight to the bathroom to clean myself up. I looked in the mirror and examined my face. I saw that I still had a bit of blood under my nose. I turned the faucet on and splashed some water on my face. I rubbed my face with the water and made sure to be thorough under my nose. I looked back up at the mirror to see my right eye was slightly blackened and bloodshot. I dried off my face with one of the towels on the rack next to me, then left the bathroom.

I stumbled to my bed and found the penguin that Kurumi won was resting on the pillow. I sat at the edge of my bed and took my hoodie off, then looked to Kurumi, who was sitting on her bed. "I'm sorry..." I said. I don't know why I was apologizing for getting my ass kicked. I guess I was just looking for a way to ease into a conversation. "If I ever see any of your blood again, I'm drinking it." she told me. I couldn't tell if it was another joke or not, but I nodded. "This just proves that I'm right about you humans." She began. I looked to her. "Most of you humans are an absolute evil. Sure, there are good people out there who mean well, but in this case, the bad outweighs the good. You humans. You go out of your way to harm each other, rob each other, lie to each other, kill each other, and even go out of your way to simply spite each other. I can't trust many of you. You may call what I do killing, but I call it exterminating parasites." she told me. I didn't give what she said much thought. "I promise. If I ever see that guy again..." I started. "Oh, you will. We're going to track him like the animal he is." she said, confidentially. "How are we going to that?" I asked. She smiled and stood in front of me.

A black mist-like substance suddenly came out from under her feet, completely devouring her. It seemed so unreal, like something out of a movie or something, but it was happening right in front of me. She reemerged from the black substance, but dressed and styled completely different. On her head was a crimson net bow. Her twintails were tied out, unevenly, with her right one being shorter. Her bangs were held up, fully exposing her left, gorgeous eye. She wore a dress made of crimson and black frills, her look more elegant than she did before. On her legs was a pair of black pantyhose. Finally, on her feet, was a pair of black boots, ready to crush the skulls of any person she chooses. She was enough to make any man's (or woman's) heart pound twenty times faster. "Well? What do you think of my Astral Dress?" she asked.

I was in awe. She was and still is, my definition of magnificent. "It's fine. You can tell me later." she giggled. "Now, let's get to it." She held out her hand, almost like she was holding something. That same black mist reemerged from her arm and seeped into her hand, forming a vintage flintlock pistol. At this point, I had too many questions to keep track of. She came over and sat next to me. "Try not to get too excited." she said, giggling a bit. She leaned the side of her head against mine. She pointed her flintlock against the other side of my head. "Yod." she spoke, before pulling the trigger. I felt a small rattle in my brain, followed by a small flashback of the fight from earlier. It all scared the shit out of me to be honest. When she pulled the trigger, it took the breath out of me. As I was gasping for air, she got up and went to the middle of the room. She turned to face me. "You stay and rest here. I will find the man who did this to you." she said, smiling with certainty. The black mass appeared again from under her, this time forming a black hole in the middle of the floor. She slowly seeped through and was eventually gone, along with that black mist. Given everything that happened, I figured the best thing for me to do would be to rest up. I laid back on my bed and did my best to get some sleep.

"Shawn...Shawn.." I woke up to Kurumi calling me. "I found him." she told me. When I woke up, it was pretty dark, so I sat up and turned the lamp on my nightstand on. I looked at the clock on the wall. It read about 7:30. I looked out of the window and saw the sun setting slowly over the horizon, some clouds moving in. I looked back at Kurumi. "All right then. Let's start walking." I said, getting up and putting my hoodie back on. I went to walk out the door, but she stopped me.

She wrapped her arms around me, one arm going from above my stomach towards my shoulder and the other resting horizontal, just above my stomach. It was almost like she was hugging me.

"Let me take you. It'll be faster." she said. That black mist appeared again, this time under me as well. She seeped into the floor again, taking me as well. It didn't take us long to become completely submerged. With the light from the floor above me closing, I looked around in that black substance. We were in a void; Maybe something similar to the inside of a black hole in space. Being in that void was so nerve-racking. I could feel my chest get tighter and tighter.

I looked up again to see a small opening. We slowly rose towards it. Eventually, we were completely out of the void. As soon as I was back on solid ground, I dropped to my knees, gasping for air. "Sorry. I suppose it needs some getting used to. Look up." she said. I looked up to see a nice-looking house, woods surrounding both it and us. The night clouds were moving in and getting thicker. I got to my feet and took a look around. It seemed like a nice and cozy area, which lead me to believe he must have been doing well for himself. So why would he feel the need to rob me?

I turned to Kurumi. "Are you ready?" I asked. "For what?" she said. Her question left me pretty confused. "...To get revenge?" I said. "Oh! No. I'm not going. This is your revenge. Not mine. What you do in there is up to you." she explained. I could see her point, so I nodded. I walked up to the house, trying to plan out what I wanted to do. The house itself was a one-story home. It definitely didn't look like it could house more than three people. To the side of the house was a separate garage. I peered into one of the windows on the side to see a living room with a small t.v and a kitchen in the back. I walked to another window and peered inside again to see the bastard from earlier in his bed, sleeping peacefully. _  
_

Fuck. Him.

I walked over to the front door. I turned the knob, just to see if it was unlocked. And to my amazement, the idiot actually left the door unlocked. I carefully opened the door and quietly snuck in, closing the door behind me. I made my way to the kitchen and started searching through some drawers. I found a box of matches, next to a sharp chef knife. I took the knife and closed the drawer. Before I left the kitchen, I found his wallet on the counter. I searched through it to find some money, bot mine and his. I took the money and examined his ID.

Jason Sheppard.

Born March 23rd, 1989.

Caucasian.

Didn't say he was an organ donor.

I kept his ID as a memento and put the wallet back on the counter and made my way out of the kitchen.

With the floor making small creaking noises under me, I silently made my way to his bedroom. There he was, still sleeping like a rock. I noticed a twelve gauge double-barrel shotgun leaning against a dresser next to his bed. I crept over to it and picked it up. I checked it to find it was still loaded. I kept the knife strapped to the back of my belt. I took a moment to watch him sleep, wondering how he could live with himself.

I aimed the gun at one of his knees. I squeezed the trigger and a loud bang was heard throughout the house. The shell ripped right into his knee. Some blood and bone started to soak into his bed. It was a very rude awakening to say the least. He quickly shot up and held onto his knee, screaming and wrenching in agony. "Hey, Jason! Did you miss me?" I yelled, sarcastically. He looked at me, trying to control his frantic breathing. "Y-You!" he yelled. "Oh, come on Jason! I have a name too ya know!" I yelled before blowing out his other knee cap.

He sat there, wrenching in pain, holding both of his knees now. "A-Are you serious?! All over a couple dollars?!" he yelled. "This goes a bit beyond 'a couple of dollars', Jason!" I assured him. I dropped the gun and gave him a punch across his jaw. His head fell back down to his pillow. I pulled out the knife and held it against his neck. "Before I do this, I need to know. Why did you rob me if you were doing so well for yourself?!" I yelled. He knew he was going to die, so in his final moments, he decided to spite me one last time. He smirked a bit. "B-Because I could! I did it because I felt like it!" he exclaimed, even laughing a bit.

As soon as I heard that, I could feel something inside myself snap and break. I instantly thought about what Kurumi said back at the hotel; That humans are evil, untrustworthy, and go out of their way to harm each other. It was then that I realized, she was right.

At that moment, I completely abandoned any form of humanity I was holding onto.

I took the knife and dug it into one side of his neck, sliding it across the front and to the other side. I dug my hand into his neck and ripped out his trachea. He was alive to feel it all. I watched his eyes move frantically, they even teared up a bit. I still wasn't satisfied. I **must have stabbed him fifty fucking times**.

It was obvious he was now dead. I walked out of the front door, his blood stained onto my hand and some on the sleeve of my hoodie. It started snowing gently, making the moment all the more beautiful. I walked over to Kurumi to see her smiling widely at me. "You were absolutely terrific in there, Shawn!" she exclaimed. "Huh?" I asked, confused. "I could see everything through the window there. It was quite a show you gave me. It was absolutely...exquisite." she explained. "In any case, did you let it all out? Are you content now?" She asked. My adrenaline was through the roof, and my anger and hatred were becoming new appetites to feed. I shook my head a bit. "Excuse me." I said before making my way to his garage. I opened it up to see a car and a lawnmower. Next to the lawnmower was a fuel can. I picked it up to see it was full to the top. I took it and walked back to the house.

I took the cap off and started to make a trail of gas, starting with the living room then walking into the kitchen. I stopped and looked through the drawer that had the matches in it. I took the matches and put the knife back. I then lead the gas from the kitchen into the bedroom and sprinkled some of it on the corpse, whose eyes were still wide open and filled with terror. I stopped trailing it until I went back to the living room. I made a second trail connecting to the first one and lead it out the front door and eventually back to Kurumi. I threw the empty canister to the side and pulled out the pack of matches. I looked at Kurumi. "Would you care to do the honors, Ms. Kurumi?" I asked in a joking tone, offering her the matches. "Such a gentleman" she said warmly. She took the matches and struck one before throwing it on the gas.

The fire lit and rushed into the house. In a matter of seconds, the entire house was engulfed in flames. The snowfall became heavier as the fire burned bright. "It's beautiful, Shawn." she said.

It certainly was, but it was then that I realized she was more beautiful than any arson.

I held her hand with my blood-stained one. She looked at me and smiled warmly. "I'm sorry you couldn't have any more fun at the arcade today." I said. "It's fine. This is more fun anyway. In fact, let's enjoy the fire a bit more before going back." she said, still smiling. I smiled too and looked back at the fire. The city was just past the woods surrounding us, so we couldn't stay for very long before people started reporting a fire. But we enjoyed every second of it.

Together.

People are born with a consciousness, one that limits them from doing what they please based on "ethics" and "morality". Most choose to listen to their consciousness. This consciousness limits us; Holds us back. Every moment I spend with Kurumi, I break through this consciousness more and more. She set me free that day and continues showing me the joys of freedom.

Shawn yawned again. "Would it be all right if we took a break for now? I'm tired and I'm sure you are too." He asked the Commander. The Commander, still somewhat shocked from what Shawn was saying looked at his watch. "I can give you an hour. After that, we get right back into this, understand?" He said. "Yes, sir." Shawn said before putting his head down. The Commander picked up his pen and notepad and left the room. As Shawn rested his head on the table, thoughts of Kurumi filled his head before he drifted off into a nap.


	16. Chapter 14

About an hour later, the soldier re-entered the room. "Ecker, wake up." he instructed, sitting back in his seat. Shawn slowly raised his head, trying to focus himself again. "Oh...Hey." Shawn said lazily. "Where did I leave off?" he asked. "You just murdered a man and burned his house down. But how about you skip ahead a month?" The soldier asked. Shawn yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Gotcha boss."

So let's skip ahead a month. It was the middle of January. The snow wasn't as brutal as it was the month before, but it was still pretty bitter at times. With all the time me and Kurumi had spent together, we became more comfortable around each other. We became more like friends rather than a servant and his master. We began to trust each other. She told me that I was the first human she felt she could ever put faith in. There were even times where we would see each other more as a romantic interest. We would sometimes drop small hints in our conversations with each other. But I digress.

The hotel room we stayed in became our home. There was always the cost of staying in the room, but we managed. Every day or so, Kurumi would need to feed on a few people. Hell, even I killed a few of them for her. Those people were the source of our income. Not only would we take their money, but I developed a habit of taking their ID's as well. Everytime I got my hands on a new one, I would put it in one of the drawers in the nightstand next to my bed. Kurumi often gave me some of the extra money so I could get anything I needed, whether it was food, shampoo, clothes, even pot on some occasions. It was safe to say we were living pretty comfortably.

It was a bright winter's day; About 9:30 in the morning. We were relaxing in our hotel room. I was practicing my guitar while Kurumi was watching a show on the **National Geographic ** channel. She suddenly turned to me. "Shawn." she called. "Hmm?" I looked at her. "What do you feel like doing today? I'm getting a little restless." she said. "I'm not sure. I could honestly just sit here and practice with **Daydream** all day." I told her. She giggled. "You named your guitar?" she asked. "Yup!" I smiled.

An awkward silence fell on us again as we went back to doing what we were. After a couple minutes, she finally broke the silence. "It's funny. We've spent a month together, yet I don't remember you telling me much about yourself." Her statement caught me pretty off guard. I stopped playing my guitar and looked at her. "Huh?" "I don't know. What's your favorite color? Favorite type of music? Tell me something about your family! Anything!" she exclaimed.

Anything but my family.

I smiled. "How about we go back and forth then? You tell me your favorite color, I'll tell you mine. And so forth." I said. "What's your favorite color?" I asked. "Red." she answered.

Of course.

"And what's yours?"

"Blue. What kind of music do you prefer?" I asked.

"I can't say I have a favored genre, but I will say I do enjoy listening to what **First Astronomical Velocity **has to offer. And I'd hate to admit it, but **Miku Izayoi **has a wonderful singing voice. What about you?" she asked.

"I'll listen to anything besides Pop. But for a favorite genre, I'd have to say Metal."

"See! I'm so glad we're learning more about each other, Shawn! I've told you how I came to be. It's only fair you tell me about you and your family." she said.

Please. Anything but them.

"Oh, you don't really want to hear about them.." I tried to play off, giving a slight forced laugh. "But I do! Please tell me about you and your family, Shawn." She practically begged. Fine, fuck it.

"For as long as my family has lived, we've been in New Jersey our entire lives. I was born in Woodstown and lived there for about five years. After my first younger brother was born there, we ended up moving to Vineland. After moving, my mother gave birth to my youngest brother. We've lived in Vineland ever since..."

I paused, not wanting to continue. "Please, keep going." she said. I couldn't bring myself to deny her.

"By the time I was twenty, I was trying to get my writing career started. At first, I'd like to say I did pretty well as a young writer. I mean, with the love and support of my family, I felt like I could take on the world.."

I paused again. It felt like I had to swallow my heart, like it was stuck in my throat. My face was heating up, and I knew it wouldn't take me long to break. But she couldn't sense what I was feeling. I couldn't blame her either. Throughout my entire life, I was always guarding myself.

"Aww! Keep going! Your family sounds so lovely." she exclaimed innocently. I took a deep breath.

"Around the time of my writing career, my grandparents left the States to live in England. They said they wanted to experience the exquisite culture that only the English could provide. As for my Aunt and Uncle, I never met them. My mother told me she was never on good terms with her sister.."

I paused again, trying to keep my breathing steady. I moved the guitar aside and sat at the edge of my bed. I didn't want to make the guitar get all messy. "Shawn?" she asked, concerned.

"..Well one day, my mother sent me out on some errands. I had to pick up a few things from some stores. But as I was shopping, the Spacequake alarm went off. Naturally, the store put itself on lockdown to brace for the impact. Everyone inside sat down and comforted each other. I, on the other hand, fought tooth and nail to escape back to my family. It took three guys to hold me down. By the time I had gotten back to my house... There was nothing left of them to bury.. They were completely obliterated.."

Kurumi held a hand over her mouth, actually shocked at what I was saying. I couldn't hold it in anymore. It felt as though my very soul was pouring through my eyes. I tried to continue anyway, whimpering between my words.

"I was given insurance money for both the destruction of the house and their deaths. With that money, I was forced to rent a home and live alone while trying to continue my writing. But without my family there to support me, I couldn't write for shit. I was a failure as a writer and eventually went bankrupt since my stories couldn't get published. Writing was the only thing I knew, so I had no chance at trying to maintain a different job. I was forced onto the streets and lived homeless for a year.

Until I met you."


	17. Update 3

[Hey everyone! Just thought I'd take a moment to say a couple more things. First off, I feel as though the story is nearing it's end. When I started this project, I didn't exactly expect to get this far into it to be honest. But when I uploaded that first chapter, I saw that a couple people took an interest in it. So I figured, why not continue it? I really have enjoyed writing this story and I'm glad I took the time to continue it.

As I've said before, I won't be able to upload a new chapter every single week. However, I've finally finished up some other work, so I promise to devote more time towards this.

I'd like to say it's been quite a ride getting to where we are today with this story. I'd like to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to read my writings. Whether you were with me from the beginning, joined midway, or even just clicked on the story by accident, all of you viewing the story means the absolute world to me. I don't exactly care about much, but I guess I'm the most sensitive and sentimental when it comes to my stories. So each time I get a new view, message or comment, it instantly makes my day so much better. And I have all of you to thank for that. Even if this story just completely sucks ass to you, I want to thank you for taking the time to even look at it. It means a lot to me. And it absolutely blows my mind to see that this project that I figured was going to be some short story I started in class, would turn into what it is today with almost 3,000 views!

Okay. I'll save all the sappy moments for the story, so I guess I'll stop here. Please, feel free to comment. All feedback is welcomed. And don't be afraid to message me too. It doesn't even have to be about the story or anything else I'll write in the future. If you want to talk about anything, I'm cool with that. :)

I'm not sure if there's going to be many chapters left, but I already have an idea on how I'm going to end it. And I promise, it's an ending worth sticking around for. Again, thank you all so, so much!

~Dahunts, a.k.a, Shawn Ecker


	18. Chapter 15

She approached me and put a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry Shawn. If I'd known.." she tried to explain. She seemed almost as upset as I was. I shook my head. "You have a right to know." I said, wiping my tears. "Still...Is there anything I can do to help you feel better?" she asked sincerely. I looked back at the clock on the wall. 9:45. "I could really use a drink.." I said. "Water? Carbonated beverage?" she asked. "Not that kind of drink." I assured her.

I looked out the window and saw that the snow was starting to pick up again. I got off the bed and walked to the corner of the room closest to me. There, I had my clothes neatly folded and stacked. I picked out one of my newer hoodies from the pile. It was a black, cotton zip-up. I put it on then tied my shoes on my feet. "I'm gonna head out. I'd feel better if you came with me." I told her. She smiled and nodded.

When we made it outside, the snow had picked up. It wasn't until we were halfway to our destination that I realized she could be cold. After all, she was only wearing a light, black dress. "Hey, you cold? You can borrow my hoodie if you want." I said. "Oh? And how would you stay warm?" she asked. "I'm no stranger to the cold." I answered. She smiled. "Believe it or not, I'm fine." she assured me.

Of course she was fine. To a cold-hearted mistress like her, the snow must have been welcoming.

As we walked a little further, I noticed a homeless man and a dog sitting in an alley. The dog must have been at least 3, people years, and the guy looked to be about thirty. The dog was on the man's lap, leaning against his chest as the man had a blanket wrapped around them both. I slowed down a bit. Kurumi walked a little further ahead of me, past the man. I stopped and looked at him. He didn't pay me any attention. I started thinking about what it was like for me to be without a home, and how hard it was. I didn't mention this before, but I also used to have a dog when I first lived on the streets. It was just always comforting to always have man's most loyal friend by my side. I found him one day as I was searching through a garbage can for food. Turns out, he was doing the same. I took him as my own and named him Toby. I did what I could to take care of him, but food was so scarce. Malnourishment took him away from me. Where would I be now if Kurumi didn't show me the kindness she did? I quickly took out some money and gave him twenty dollars. It wasn't much, I know, but it's what I could do. He looked at me. "Th...Th.." He couldn't even speak. He practically started crying, which almost made me cry. I looked back at Kurumi to see she was waiting for me, smiling.

When I caught up to her, she quickly held my hand, interlocking our fingers.

We arrived at a casual dining restaurant with an Irish pub theme a short time later. I think the name was **Bennigan's**. We walked inside and went to the bar counter. Like usual, there was no one else around. It was just me, Kurumi, and the bartender. The bartender was a muscular guy, had short brown hair and a goatee. He seemed to be in his late twenties. He was pretty cool. He looked at me. "Hey. What can I get you?" he asked. Ever since I was 18, I always looked older than 21. Kurumi...Not so much. "I'll have a shot of **Jack**. Keep em' coming. What about you, Kurumi?" I asked. "I'll have a glass of Cola, please." she said. The guy nodded and went to put our drinks together. "Want to keep asking each other questions?" I asked her. I figured it would be a good idea to learn more about her _before_ I got hammered. "Sure. It's your turn to ask me something." she said, smiling. "All right. Not that I'm ungrateful or anything, but why did you save me? It couldn't be because you felt sorry. After all, you pretty much ignored the guy on our walk here." I explained. "Would you believe me if I said it was because you were handsome?" she asked. I smiled. "No." I quickly answered. She got a good laugh out of it before calming down and become more serious. "I was actually planning on killing and eating you too..." she explained. The guy came back and gave us our drinks before walking away again. "Yet, here I am, sitting and sharing drinks with you. What changed your mind?" I asked, keeping my nervousness to myself. "When I looked in your eyes, I saw a blank slate. I felt like having a companion, so what better friend than one I could mold to be more like me? I suppose what I'm saying is, you're corruptible. And with all of the people who have 'gone missing' lately, I'd say I'm leaving quite an impression on you." she said, smiling.

I instantly thought about Jason from the month before.

I was a little upset, but I managed to keep it to myself. "Is that all you see in me?" I asked. Her smile became more sympathetic. "Truth be told, you've also grown on me." she said. I instantly felt better. I lifted my shot glass. "To corruption!" I exclaimed. She giggled a bit before raising her glass. "To corruption!" We tapped our glasses together. She sipped her Cola and I shot back my drink. The burn felt so good and welcoming.

A couple minutes passed. I got another shot while she was finishing up her Cola. "It's your turn now, right?" I asked her. She nodded. "Why do you smoke drugs?" she asked. It's just nice to fall out of reality every once in a while. And it's nothing hard, just pot." I explained. I knocked back my second shot. "You should try it sometime. You may like it." I told her. "I'm not entirely sure it's for me." she said before finishing her Cola.

Come to think of it, maybe it's best she doesn't smoke pot. Wouldn't want her getting hungry now.

I called for the bartender to refill our drinks. A couple minutes went by before we got our refills. The bartender returned to the other side of the bar. "Your turn." she told me. I thought for a minute. "All right. Recently, before I fall asleep, I feel you watching me sometimes. Why?" I asked. "You're just interesting, that's all." she said innocently. "What's so interesting about me being in a minor comatose?" I asked. She seemed to ignore the question at first as she drank her Cola.

"You scream in your sleep." she told me.

That definitely threw me off guard. I've been having nightmares about the recent murders at times, but I was never aware I screamed in my sleep. We both sat there, quietly. I drank my third shot while she finished her Cola. I called to the bartender again for more refills. "Don't you ever sleep?" I asked. "I don't have to, but it's nice to always have the option." she said.

One hour, eight shots and thirteen glasses of Cola later, we were both completely wrecked. How anyone can get drunk off a soda still baffles me. Though I was drunk, a certain accident hold everything fresh in my mind.

"S'you eat people right? Where'o they go?" ("So you eat people right? Where do they go?") I asked her. "Shawn! You're gross!" she exclaimed. "Aww, c'mon! Tell me!" I pleaded. She gave me a funny smile. "That's my little secret." she said. I let out, what I presume to be, a laugh. She laughed too. "You're a lot of fun when you're like this." she said. **"Thash grape!"** ("That's great!") I replied. She laughed and gave me a light, friendly push. "Bartender! An'ther drink, pliz!" ("Bartender! Another drink, please!") I hollered. He shook his head. "Sorry bud. I think you've had enough." he said. "Aww." I said, disappointed. Kurumi paid for our drinks. "Come on, Shawn. Let's get out of here." she said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Al'ght." ("All right.") I said, lazily.

She got off her stool, stumbling a bit.

I completely fell off mine.

We both laughed pretty hard. "Come on." she said, helping me up.

When we left the restaurant, it was still snowing, but it lightened up. We started stumbling back to the hotel. I played around with her hair a bit and she playfully pulled out a couple of my chin hairs. For fun, I "ran" ahead of her, across the street. We both took a second to laugh. She then started crossing the street. I turned to keep walking. But I turned back around quickly to the sound of tires shrieking to a halt. Before my very eyes, I saw Kurumi get rammed by a truck.

I've never sobered up to quickly in my entire life. "KURUMI!" I yelled.

The bastard driver was so shocked and scared that he drove around her and sped off. He didn't even give it a second thought. I ran over to her and dropped on my knees to her side. "Kurumi!? Kurumi!?" I pleaded. I never got a response. I placed my middle and index finger by the side of her neck, only to find there wasn't a pulse.

I sat her corpse up and had her lean against my chest. I just sat there, with a corpse, a damaged liver, and a broken heart. I started crying, again.

I took off my hoodie and wrapped it around her. I don't care what she said; she looked cold to me. As the snow pressed on, I could feel my tears being frozen to my face. There was no one else around. It was just me and her.

I cradled her corpse for hours. So many hours.

She was radiant, even in death. I was in my own little eternity. By the time I felt ready to leave, it was getting dark. I picked her up off the street and leaned her against a building. I didn't know what else to do with her. I covered her up to her face with my hoodie and started to walk away. As I walked away, I turned to look at her again. But too my horror, both her and my hoodie were gone. I needed someplace warm to think, so I hurried back to the hotel, the snow still falling.

"I get back to the hotel room and open the door. And who do you think I see on her bed?" Shawn asked. The Commander looked at Shawn, confused. "You're kidding me." The Commander said. Shawn shook his head.

"Kurumi Tokisaki."

I looked at her, confused. "Oh, you're finally home." she said, casually. I was confused and horrified and happy, all at the same time. There wasn't a scratch on her. "I...You..." I couldn't even speak. "Oh! Thank you for letting me borrow your hoodie by the way. I put it in the corner with the rest of your clothes." she said, smiling. I slowly made my way to my bed and sat at the edge. "You...You died." I finally said. She smiled. "As long as I have enough spirit energy, I can never truly die. With all the people I've been devouring lately, I have an ample supply of spirit energy! It's just another one of my powers." she explained. I smiled, on the verge of tears, again, though I didn't have much feeling in my face. "But you..." she said, getting up and sitting next to me. "..Even in 'death', you were by my side. I've never had someone care about me so much. And your cheeks. They must be freezing."she said, warmly, putting a hand on my cheek. It was so warm and inviting. "I...thought I lost you.." I said, weakly.

"As long as you're by my side, I'll be by yours." she said, warmly.

To my surprise, she then leaned in and kissed me.

We slept in the same bed that night.

We. Became. One.


	19. Update 4

[Hey everyone! It's been a while since my last update to the story, but that's why I'm writing this out today. So recently, school started back up for me, and I'm getting a little swamped with work. Because of that, I haven't really had time to work on my story. More so, I keep stalling and reviewing what I write to make sure it comes out as perfect as I can make it for all of you. Thank you all for your patience. I will make more of an effort to add on to the story, and hopefully get a new chapter up by this weekend. Even as I type this now, I'm pretty exhausted.

Again, thanks for all the patience! Let's hope for this weekend!]

~Dahunts a.k.a Shawn Ecker


	20. Chapter 16

"You...Slept with it?" The Commander asked. "It? Please, refer to her as Kurumi. I hope you weren't expecting details, sir." Shawn said.

The following morning, I woke up feeling like shit from all the liquor, but warm from Kurumi. I was also really hungry. With all that happened the day before, eating never even crossed my mind. I looked to my side to see Kurumi sleeping. I had to take a moment to admire her. That was the first time I ever saw her sleeping, and she looked so peaceful. When I felt ready, I reached over and picked up the phone on the nightstand. I placed my usual breakfast order and hung up. Kurumi slowly started to wake up. She slowly sat up, looked at me and smiled. "Good morning." she said. "Good morning." I said, playing with some of her hair. "How are you feeling?" she asked. I smiled. "Like I made a deal with the Devil. And hungry." I said. "Me too..." she said. My hunger kind of sparked the question in my head. "Have you ever thought about just eating normal food? You know, the kind that doesn't walk on two feet? Just to see how it would work out?" I asked. It may have just been the hangover kicking my skull, but I got this crazy idea that maybe, just maybe, she could gain her spirit energy by just eating a steak or something. She giggled. "Are you still drunk?" she asked.

She then got out of bed and walked to the bathroom, picking up some clothes on the way in. As she walked, I took the time to admire her figure. After she closed the door behind her and started the shower, I decided to also get out of bed and get dressed. After dressing myself, I laid back down on the bed and closed my eyes, relaxing. About ten minutes passed before the food arrived. The hotel was always good with making quick meals. I got the food and started eating. But while I was eating, that crazy idea popped in my head again. I don't know if I necessarily liked killing people with Kurumi. So I figured I'd try to stop as much as I can, just to see how I felt. My plan started with me only eating half of my breakfast. I saved the rest for Kurumi.

A couple moments later, she came out of the bathroom, wearing that elegant black dress of hers. "Hey Shawn, can you zip up the back please?" she asked, holding her hair up. I quickly got up and walked over to her. That intoxicating smell of strawberries punched me in the face again, much to my delight. I started to zip up the back of her dress. As I did, she noticed the unfinished breakfast. "Lost your appetite?" she asked. "Actually, I saved it for you." I said, finishing with her dress. "Well, I'd hate to be rude." she said, walking over to my bed and sitting on the edge.

She picked up the unfinished plate of food, fork in hand, and took a bite of some of the eggs. I watched her as she went from the eggs, to the bacon, then finally the toast. She cleaned off the plate entirely. "Well?" I asked, sitting on the edge of her bed, facing her. "I don't exactly see what the appeal is. There wasn't even any blood." she said, putting the plate to the side. "That was the point." I explained. "I'm not entirely sure about the food you eat." she said.

I could have said the same.

"I was hoping you'd be willing to try other foods today." I told her. She took a moment to think. "So what you're suggesting is, we spend the entire day eating?" she asked. "Well, not all consecutively." I said. She smiled. "I feel as though we've only been doing what you felt like lately." she said. I smiled. "Not that you mind." I said. "I do not." she said, giggling.

We later left a little bit before noon. We made our way to the cafe' Kurumi first brought me to, maneuvering past all the snow on the ground. Being back inside the cafe' reminded me of who I was and where I would be if it wasn't for Kurumi. I used these thoughts as motivation for my plan.

We were seated soon after walking in. We ended up sitting in the same table we sat at the first time we went there. A waitress came up to us and asked what we wanted to drink. We both agreed to have some water. When the waitress walked away to get our drinks, we both picked up a couple menus on the table to look through. "See anything you might like?" I asked Kurumi. "Nothing in particular is catching my eye. Do you have a recommendation?" she asked. "The pasta I had the first time we were here was pretty good." I told her. She nodded and put her menu down.

The waitress came back with our glasses of water. We both placed orders and she walked away. I looked around the cafe', and it wasn't nearly as full as it was the first time we were there. I looked back at Kurumi to see her staring at me. "Anything on my face?" I asked her. "Nothing, aside from some hair." she said. "I was just wondering why you're trying to get me to like human food."

I don't think telling her 'because I don't know how I feel about killing people' was the best answer. It sounded kind of selfish when I thought about it. "I just thought you'd like to experience different foods. That is one of the experiences of life after all." I said. She took a moment and smiled.

"Maybe, for the wealthy. Meanwhile, from America to the other continents of the world, many people are lucky to find food every few days. If there is anything I have noticed in my travels, it's that you humans have a terrible habit of wasting food." she said. And she was absolutely right. "You have a terrible habit of being philosophical at random times, Ms. Tokisaki." I joked. She giggled a bit. "Thank you, Mr. Ecker."

Some time passed before the waitress came back with our food. For Kurumi, a fine pasta dish with a side of bread, whereas I ordered a sirloin steak, burnt to a crisp. I picked up a bottle of ketchup on the table and poured some on the side of the steak. I liked ketchup with my steak. As I began cutting my steak into smaller pieces, I noticed Kurumi taking bites out of her pasta.

Some time passed before we finished our meals. We both cleaned our plates completely. We both sat for a moment to talk for a bit. "Well? How was it?" I asked before finishing my glass of water. "Well, it didn't taste absolutely terrible." she admitted. "So you liked it." I said. She shrugged. "I'm not sure." she said. "And how was your steak?" she asked me. "Burnt, just the way I like it." I said. She smiled. "So what's next for today?" she asked. "Maybe a dinner? Or we could skip that and go right to dessert." I said. "We'll see what we feel like doing." she said, smiling.

We payed the bill and walked out. As we did, we saw a familiar face walking in our direction.

It was **Yoshino**.


	21. Chapter 17

She stopped suddenly when she noticed us. Fear took over her face when she saw Kurumi. Kurumi smiled. "My, my. Isn't this a pleasant surprise." she said. I could see the poor girl trembling a bit. "I simply must take advantage of this rare opportunity, Yoshino." she continued, changing into her Astral dress.

I couldn't just let this happen. After all, my goal was to get her to stop eating other living beings. I stepped in front of Kurumi. "Please. Don't." I begged her.

"Yeah! Why don't you listen to your boyfriend, you big bully!" I heard from an unfamiliar voice. I turned to face Yoshino again. "Stop. I'm trying to help _you_ here." I told her. "I... I didn't.." the young girl muttered in a second voice. It definitely puzzled me a bit. "Hey! I'm the one who said that, stupid!" the puppet, Yoshinon answered.

I have to admit, her ventriloquism act was flawless.

Kurumi was getting impatient. "And just why shouldn't I consume her, Shawn?" she asked me. I hate to admit it, but I didn't have much of an argument. "Isn't this what we were trying to avoid today? To try regular food instead of living beings?" I said. "That's right! Keep your dog on her leash, boyfriend!" I heard Yoshinon spouting behind me. I turned to see Yoshino covering Yoshinon's mouth. "Okay, listen here you little shit! I-" I yelled at Yoshinon.

I would have continued arguing, but I realized it was just a puppet. A very, very, VERY annoying puppet. I took a deep breath.

"Look, I'm trying to help you here, Yoshino." I calmly stated. "I know...But Yoshinon..." she said. The poor girl was obviously shaken up. "Enough of this!" Kurumi yelled. She raised her musket. Yoshino jumped back, raising a wall of ice. "EVERYBODY JUST CALM THE FUCK DOWN!" I started yelling.

"So basically, Kurumi killed Yoshino?" the Commander asked. "Not exactly..." Shawn said. "Hey, got any more cigarettes?" Shawn asked. The Commander pulled out a new pack and the lighter from earlier. He gave a cigarette to Shawn and he put it to his mouth and leaned over a bit so the Commander could light it. "Nice zippo. Where'd you get it?" Shawn joked, taking a puff. The Commander laughed slightly to himself.

So here's what happened. Kurumi flew passed me and blasted a hole into the wall of ice. Yoshino flew off on top of Yoshinon, who was now at least twenty times its actual size, taking on the form of a rabbit-like, vicious monster. Kurumi chased after.

There was running. So much fucking running. Do you have any idea how fast Spirits move? Yeah, I learned that the hard way. I eventually chased the two of them to a nearby park, presumably the one where Kurumi had previously murdered two others. Kurumi had backed Yoshino to some trees. Yoshino, being trapped, had to choice but to switch to the offensive. They both lunged at each other. But as they did, I ran in between them, panting and gasping a bit. With my lungs feeling frozen, I gave it all I could "STOP!" I yelled. I knew Kurumi wouldn't have been at least upset if she accidentally did serious harm to her lovable servant. And I had a feeling Yoshino couldn't bring herself to harm a bystander. They both suddenly stopped.

"Let's...talk...this...over." I managed to say in between gasps. I vowed never to chase after a Spirit again.

I'll skip ahead a bit. After some intense negotiations, I somehow managed to diffuse the situation. Though it was still Winter, a local ice cream shop, which is almost famous for its ice cream, was still open. It was sort of an old place, but still a hangout to a lot of people, just not recently. I somehow managed Kurumi to let Yohino accompany us there. We bought Yoshino vanilla ice cream in, what the store called, a "**Like it**" size. Me and Kurumi decided to share a vanilla in a "**Love it**" size. At first, the four of us, counting Yoshinon, sat quietly, keeping to ourselves. "Not gonna lie, this is pretty awkward." Yoshinon said, finally breaking the silence. "It was only awkward after you announced it." I lied. "Please Shawn. There's no use arguing with it." Kurumi told me. "I have a name you know." Yoshinon announced. Kurumi ignored it. "I...Um.." Yoshino started. She was speaking to me. "Hmm?" I asked. "The ice cream...It's...Thank you." she managed to utter. I smiled. "Don't mention it kid." I said. Yoshino smiled a bit and relaxed.

Kurumi kicked my shin under the table. I winced a bit.

"What's the deal with you two anyway?" Yoshinon asked me.

I didn't miss a beat. "We're lovers." I replied. Kurumi choked a bit on her ice cream and kicked my shin again.

"He's my servant." Kurumi quickly stated. "In any case, why should it matter to you?" Kurumi asked. "Just making conversation." Yoshinon replied. "Your idea of 'making conversation' annoys me." Kurumi said. "Well, someone here has to break the silence, and you sure aren't doing it." said Yoshinon. The bickering was starting to annoy me. "Can we just enjoy our ice cream in peace, please?" I pleaded.

Kurumi kicked my shin again. It really wouldn't be a problem, if she didn't kick the exact same fucking spot over and over again. I started tearing up a bit. I was in hell. A tasty, cold, vanilla-flavored hell.

We all finished our ice cream and left the store. "Thank you again for the ice cream..." Yoshino said. Kurumi looked away, crossing her arms. "Hey, no problem kid. I'm glad you enjoyed it." I said. Yoshino turned to Kurumi. "T-thank you.." she said, timidly. "You're welcome." Kurumi replied. Yoshino then turned and walked away, sort of hurrying off a bit. It began snowing lightly. I turned to Kurumi.

"You're not too mad at me, are you?" I asked. "And if I am? How would you make it up to me?" she asked. I took a moment. "What if I wrote you a song and played it on my guitar? Would you forgive me then?" I asked. She stayed silent a moment before sighing a bit. "I guess I would have to, wouldn't I?" she said. She turned to me and smiled warmly.

"We are lovers, after all."


	22. Chapter 18

"So, would we have to keep an eye out for Yoshino as well?" The Commander asked. "Not really. As far as I can tell, she's mostly harmless and prefers to avoid people." Shawn answered. "Why don't you tell me about-" The Commander started. He was interrupted by another military member, rushing into the room. "Command Sergeant Major Phillips, sir!" the man announced, saluting and holding the pose. He wasn't as decorated as the Commander sitting across from Shawn, but wore the same uniform. "Corporal Flannigan." Phillips said before standing. "Sir, Second Lieutenant Christou needs to speak to you." Flannigan spouted. Phillips looked at Shawn then back at Flannigan. "Very well. I'll need you to keep an eye of Ecker here." he said. "Yes sir!" Flannigan replied. Phillips walked out, closing the door behind him. Flannigan watched Shawn, not blinking very often.

Shawn gave a friendly smile and waved at Flannigan. Flannigan was less than amused. "Wonderful weather we're having." Shawn joked. Flannigan kept silent. "_You're not a very fun person, are you?_" Shawn asked. "I should kill you now and save the Commander the trouble." Flannigan finally replied, coldly. "So, Phillips is planning on killing me?" Shawn asked. Flannigan kept quiet again. Shawn smiled a bit. "Oh well. I guess I had a good run." he said. Phillips soon returned.

"Thank you Flannigan. Dismissed." Phillips said, sitting back down. Flannigan saluted again before leaving. "Well Shawn. As much as I love the time we're spending together, the higher-ups want you to wrap this up soon." Phillips said. "'**If I leave her tomorrow, would you still remember me?**'" Shawn jokingly started singing. Phillips chuckled a bit. "You know, you're pretty funny. It's a shame you're a sociopathic piece of shit." Phillips said. "Fast forward to yesterday." Phillips continued.

[Hey everyone! Hope you've enjoyed the story so far! Unfortunately, this story has to come to a close soon. And by soon, I mean next chapter. Sorry if this chapter seemed short, but I thought it would be a nice way to slide right into the next chapter. Seeing as the next chapter will be the final one, I'll work my hardest to make it the best I can. I can promise you all that. Not much else to say except, look forward to the final chapter! It's because of you all that I decided to take it this far, so thank you. Finally, I'll end this with a quote.

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."]


	23. Finale

All right then. Let me set the mood for you. The bitter winter was finally over. All the snow melted, exposing the rough, unforgiving asphalt. Spring had finally begun. I hate Spring. All of the bugs come out and fly in your face, thinking they're the shit. On top of that, it's insanely humid. I hate humidity. With humidity comes sweating. I hate sweating. The clouds overhead finally cleared up, exposing the bright, eager sun. I hate the sun. It's too bright. Someone needs to dim it down a bit. I already miss Winter. But as much as I hate to admit it, Spring was here.

As I've said before, I had a goal to get Kurumi to change her diet. And, to my surprise, it worked out pretty well. Although, without other people to leech off of, we haven't made any money. Our income was at a standstill. We were still able to manage with what little money we had saved up, but I don't think it'll last much longer at this rate. But with the "killer on the streets" disappearing like a passing plague, more people started coming out of their homes. I hate people.

Kurumi and I were relaxing in our room. She was on her bed, watching the t.v, and I was playing my guitar, still trying to write a song for her. With our budget at a standstill, we had to go every one or two days without eating. At that point, we hadn't eaten since the day before yesterday. Needless to say, we were both hungry, but I did and said everything I could to keep our spirits up. But I noticed something different about Kurumi, ever since she switched her diet. She wasn't as vibrate and energetic as she used to be. In fact, my psychopathic lover usually just sat there, seemingly doing anything she could to preserve any energy she had left.

It was a little passed noon when Kurumi finally said something. "We have company." she said, still staring at the t.v. "Hmm?" I asked, looking at her. She motioned towards the window. I got off my bed and put my guitar down. I looked out the window to see **a group of girls with guns, flying with what looked like jet-packs.** "What are they?" I asked Kurumi. "AST. Or, Anti-Spirit Team. It wouldn't be my first time coming across them." she said. "Huh..." I said. I was too hungry to give an appropriate reaction, but rest assured, I was worried.

I walked towards my shoes, which were in front of my bed and started putting them on. "What should we do?" I asked Kurumi. She shrugged. "Not much they can do while I'm inside. Besides, they're here for me, not you." she said. "So you're suggesting we just sit here?" I asked, lacing my shoes. She then looked at the door to our room then back at the t.v. "Well, we can't exactly do that anymore." she said. "Huh?" I asked. I suddenly heard a bang at the door. "Open up! We know you're in there!" I heard someone yell. I walked to the door and looked through the peep hole to see military men with handguns, ready to rush as soon as I opened the door. They were all dressed with what seemed to be some sort of armor. I double locked the door. "Please leave a message after the beep!" I called out. Kurumi giggled a bit. One of them started kicking at the door. I backed up to Kurumi. "What now?" I asked her. She sighed. "I guess I have no choice." she said, getting up. She put her arms around me and dragged me back down to that dimension she took me to before.

"Before I continue Phillips, I have to ask. How'd you find out where me and Kurumi were?" Shawn asked. "Originally, we weren't there for you. We were given a tip anonymously that there was a threat to national security in that room. A threat with 'explosive power', capable of wiping out half the city. We figured terrorists were making bombs." Phillips explained. Shawn laughed a bit. "That tip of yours was definitely by the AST. They just needed someone to kick the door down and flush us out. But I will admit, I was living with a bomb, so at least they weren't completely lying." Shawn said.

We reemerged in a forest. I had gotten a little more used to Kurumi's way of travel, so this time I didn't fall to my knees. We were in an open area, surrounded by large, towering trees. The only thing next to us was a lone stump, firmly rooted into the ground. As I was looking around Kurumi fell back and rested against the stump. I wouldn't have been so worried, if she wasn't panting so much. I dropped to my knees beside her. "Hey. You all right?" I asked her. "I don't...have much energy left, Shawn.." she said.

I should have known better than to convince her to switch her diet. The only way she was getting life energy was by eating people, since we all are positively filled with life energy. But I still can't help but feel she knew it would happen. So why would she agree to stop eating humans?

I shook my head. "You're gonna be fine, I promise." I said, faking a smile. She smiled too, shaking head. "I feel as though you'd be better off leaving me." she said. I became angry, mostly at myself. If it wasn't for me, she wouldn't be in that state. "No!" I shouted, no longer faking the smile. She was surprised. "I love you Kurumi, okay!? I promise I'll find you something to eat. And if not, I'd rather sit here and starve with you instead of running off. You've given me so much. Shelter, food, clothing. You're the only reason I'm still living today. So please, let me do something right for once.." I argued, tears beginning to form in my eyes. She took a moment to process it all. Then she smiled warmly, also tearing up a bit. I leaned over and kissed her. "I'll be back with something, okay? Just hang in there, for me, okay?" I said. She nodded. I smiled and stood up, beginning to walk away. As I was walking off, I heard her. "Shawn?" she called. I turned and looked at her. "Hmm?" I asked. "If you yell at me like that again, I'll slaughter you." she said, smiling. I knew she was joking. I smiled. "Yes, Ms. Kurumi."

I wandered around, looking for something, anything. I ended up picking some berries as I walked. But as luck may have it, I noticed a hiker. He looked like he was in hid mid-thirties. He had dark black hair, a full beard and a white hat on his head. He seemed a little on the thick side, so I could tell he ate well. But what really caught my attention was the large bag he was carrying on his back. There had to be food in it. I needed that bag.

I dropped the berries and ran towards him. "Sir! Please! I need your help!" I yelled. He looked at me for a moment before walking towards me. "Something wrong?" he asked. "Please sir! Me and my sister were walking through the woods, but she slipped and slid down a slope. She hurt her leg really bad! Please help her!" I lied. "O-Okay. Show me where she is." he said. As I guided him back to Kurumi, I "explained" to him how, after she fell, I tried carrying her until she said to place her down to rest.

We soon made it back to where I left Kurumi. "There! Please, help her! It's her left leg!" I yelled, loud enough for Kurumi to hear. He rushed over to her. "Are you okay? Show me where it hurts." He said, leaning down to her. "Around my shin..." Kurumi lied. He nodded and placed his bag to his side. He then started to examine her leg.

I crept up behind him and picked up a large rock. "I'm sorry." I whispered. He turned his head just in time to have a rock being smashed against his temple. He fell to his back. He had a surprised look on his face, and I could almost feel the fear he gave off. I quickly got on top of him and continually smashed his skull with the large rock, determined to end his suffering quickly. I used any strength I had left in my hungry body to kill him. It didn't take long for him to stop kicking.

"That was...delectable." Kurumi said, smiling that evil smile of hers. I took a moment to catch my breath before putting the rock down and looting through his bag. The only useful thing I found was a zippo. Everything else consisted of a medical kit, bug spray, a tent kit and some spare clothes. No food or water. Nothing. I was frustrated. I looked at Kurumi. "I'm sorry...I couldn't find any food.." I said, despair taking over my body. "Well, I wouldn't say that..." Kurumi said, looking at the fresh corpse.

She took hold of one of his arms and tore it out of its socket with ease. There was a loud, sickening snap, as though a large tree branch broke right in half. Then, a loud pop followed, as though someone was cracking their knuckles for the first time in their life. Lastly, there was a ripping sound, almost like someone was tearing a large piece of paper in half. But what she did next surprised me most. She presented the arm to me. "You need to eat as well." she said.

Phillips sat there, looking horrified. "You didn't.." he said. Shawn held a serious expression on his face. "I took a bite at first, but my teeth wouldn't sink through. The thing about flesh is, it's pretty tough to chew through, so I thought cooking eat would make it easier to eat. I gathered some sticks and used my new zippo to light them. I held the arm in the fire, trying my best not to burn myself. The smell of burning hair was apparent, but not overwhelming. Once I felt it was cooked enough, I bit into the arm again, this time sinking my teeth through. I'm sure you've heard the expression 'tastes like chicken.' Bullshit. Flesh tastes like flesh. Nothing compares to it." Shawn explained. "Did you... Like it?" Phillips asked. Shawn stayed silent for a moment before answering. "I don't know if I liked it or not. It just felt 'right'." Shawn answered.

By the time I finished most of my meal, Kurumi had completely consumed hers. I felt my stomach kicking a bit, but I did my best to hold it down. I wiped the leftover charred skin and muscle from my mouth and tossed the bones to the side. Kurumi stood up and I looked at her. "How are you feeling?" I asked. "Much, much better. That man must have had a lot of energy. And you? How was it?" she asked. "Well, at the very least, I'm not hungry anymore." I replied. Kurumi then switched into her beautiful crimson Astral Dress. "We have company again." she said. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the AST flew over the surrounding trees, pointing their guns at Kurumi.

For a second, I thought me and Kurumi were fucked. But then, something incredible happened. Those "black mist" formations started appearing around us. And to my surprise, multiple Kurumis started emerging from the ground, all armed with flintlocks and muskets. They all laughed the same maniacal laugh.

All the Kurumis aimed their pistols and rifles and opened fire on the flying AST, who did their best to deflect the bullets with some sort of shield. The AST aimed their futuristic assault rifles and returned fire. A couple Kurumis surrounded and protected me, taking all the bullets. Some of them fell, dead, but were absorbed back into the black mist and were replaced with newer ones, who rose through as the dead ones were completely absorbed. In retaliation, some of the surrounding Kurumis flew up into the air after the AST, determined to strike them down. The rest of the Kurumis followed, and soon the sky was filled with beautiful chaos and destruction. The original Kurumi then grabbed my arm. I knew deep within the bottom of my heart that she was the original. "We should leave now." she calmly said to me.

We ran through the woods, hand in hand, with me leading. Kurumi remained in her Astral dress, but was no longer holding the flintlock and musket. I could hear an all-out war behind us. We dodged trees, bushes and branches, refusing to slow down. But as we were running, I tripped over an exposed root and, ironically, tumbled down a slope, taking Kurumi with me. We unfortunately slid and fell onto a bed of rocks. Luckily, my arm took full impact of all the sharp, painful stones. I was wearing my long-sleeved hoodie, so I luckily didn't shred my arm when I fell. I raised my head to see Kurumi, holding her ankle tightly. "Sorry...Are you okay?" I asked, getting back up. "Y-yes.." she said. But as she stood, she winced in pain and immediately dropped and grabbed her ankle. "I think you have a sprained ankle.." I said. She looked annoyed. "I wonder whose fault that may be." she said. I sighed and walked over to her. I helped her to her feet and picked her up, with my left arm behind her knees and my right arm supporting her back. "Wh-what are you doing?" she asked. "We're escaping together, whether I have to carry you or not. I promise you that." I said. I'm going to be honest, I felt pretty cool after saying that. She smiled and sighed. "Very well then." she said. I then started walking again, ducking under branches and watching carefully where I stepped. I carried her for what seemed like forever through that never-ending forest.

I could eventually see the edge of the forest through the trees ahead of us. "See? I told you I would get you out of here!" I gloated. "Stop." she suddenly said. "Hmm? What's wrong?" I asked. "There's more of them on the other side..." she said. "More of who?" I asked. "Soldiers. The same kind that were kicking down the door to our room." she said. I took a moment to think before nodding. "I'll handle it." I said. "And how do you intend to do that?" she asked. I looked around and found a large, hollowed tree. It was tall and the bark only left a small, jagged opening at the top. I figured it would be a perfect place to hide Kurumi. I walked towards it and gently placed her on the ground inside it. "What are you up to? Pick me back up immediately!" she demanded. I leaned down and kissed her. "Trust me, okay? I promise this will all work out." I said, holding her hand. She just stared blankly at me for a while before sighing. "You'd better know what you're doing.." she said. I kissed her hand. "Find me when you can. I'll be waiting for you." I said, letting go of her hand. "What do you mean?" she asked. I simply smiled.

I started walking away from her, but was stopped by the sound of twigs breaking. I looked around and saw a deer, hiding behind some trees in the distance. It showed no fear, or intent to run. I took a step towards it, just to see if it would run off. But it stood its ground. It just looked at me, as though it was watching what I would do. It was almost as if it was encouraging me.

I eventually made my way out of the woods. I was met with your men, about five of them, aiming their assault rifles at me. I assumed they followed the AST and waited for me to come out of hiding. "Freeze!" they yelled. I stopped. "Hands up!" one yelled. I slowly raised my hands into the air. They quickly walked towards me, still aiming their guns. I stood still. One wrestled me to the ground and put restraints on my wrists behind my back. Another one struck me on my head with the butt of his rifle, knocking me out. Next thing I know, I woke up in this room, with you sitting across from me.

"So that's it?" Phillips asked, putting his pen down. "That's it." Shawn replied. "Good." Phillips said, standing up. He reached for his left hip, which held a handgun in a holster. He pulled the handgun out and aimed it at Shawn. Shawn simply sat there. "You are obviously a threat to my country. Therefore, I am to carry out your execution. Any last words?" Phillips asked. Shawn knew he had to stall for just a little bit longer. "What is death?" Shawn asked. "What?" Phillips asked, confused. "I'm asking what death is." Shawn said. "Really? These are your final words?" Phillips asked. "Is it simply the absence of life, or something more?" Shawn persisted. "You're serious?" Phillips asked. "As serious as a hungry cannibal." Shawn said, smiling. "Well, I guess it's-" Phillips started before being interrupted by a loud alarm. "INTRUDER DETECTED! INTRUDER DETECTED!" it screeched, over and over. "What?!" Phillips yelled, looking around. Shawn simply sat there.

Loud banging, yelling and gunshots could be heard in the hall behind the door. Phillips turned to see what the commotion was. But the door was knocked right off its hinges and was hurled at him. The door pushed Phillips to the other side of the room. The gun flew out of his hand. Kurumi emerged from the hallway.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes, gorgeous." Shawn said, standing up. "Oh, stop. It hasn't been that long since we last saw each other." she said, smiling and walking towards Shawn. "It's been long enough." he said, walking towards Kurumi. She put her hands on his face as he placed his hands on her waist. They then kissed before embracing. "Was it tough getting here?" Shawn asked. "You really should have more faith in me." Kurumi joked. Shawn smiled. Kurumi then looked at Phillips, who was trying with all his might to get up. "He's yours to do with as you please." she told Shawn. Shawn then let go of Kurumi and walked towards the handgun, which was only a few steps in front of him. Shawn picked up the gun and began walking towards Phillips, aiming it at him. "Any last words?" Shawn asked. "Please...don't. I have a wife and son waiting for me at home.." Phillips pleaded. "I would do it if I were you. He wouldn't have given you a second thought." Kurumi said. Shawn looked at Kurumi, then back at Phillips, who was on the verge of tears.

Would Kurumi be successful in completely manipulating Shawn?

Shawn sighed. "If I ever see you again, I'll kill you and make you my next meal, understand me? Don't look for us." Shawn said. He then pistol-whipped Phillips, knocking him out.

Shawn then turned to face Kurumi, switching the safety on the gun on and sliding it into the back of his jeans. He then walked to the table and put the zippo in his pocket. "'Make you my next meal', huh?" Kurumi asked. Shawn smiled a bit. "I think I've acquired the taste." he said. Kurumi smiled. He walked over to her, holding her hand and interlocking their fingers. they then walked out of that small, dimly-lit room together.

They slowly made their way through several halls. The floor, walls and ceiling were painted with blood. Bullet shells and guns were scattered all over the floor. "Where are the bodies?" Shawn asked. "Sorry. I was still hungry." Kurumi said, giggling a bit. Shawn chuckled a bit. "So, what now?" Kurumi asked as they reached the end of a hallway. "Well, I'm going to have to see how badly damaged that door to our hotel room is. And of course we'll have to make sure there isn't anyone else there who thinks we're terrorists." Shawn said. "Is that all?" Kurumi asked. "No. Let's get someone to eat. I'm starving." Shawn said. Kurumi giggled. "A man after my own heart." she joked. They then opened up two doors to an exit, ready to take on the world.

Together.

-END-


	24. Final update

[Well, it was a long ride, but we finally made it! I struggled a bit sometimes, trying to come up with more content for the story. But with all your support, I was able to push through and finally finish this story. And it's all thanks to every one of you, who always gave me feedback and suggestions. You all are the real reason this story was able to be completed, and I thank you for that. I just hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. The only thing I really regret are some grammatical errors.

I doubt I'll do a sequel to this story, but who knows for sure? I may, I may not. But if you enjoyed this story, follow me to see anything else I publish! Although, I may not even publish many other stories again. Again, who knows?

Message me sometime for any suggestions for another story, or even just to chat. You all are pretty chill people, and I'd be more than happy to talk to any of you anytime.

I have an idea for another story though. I'm thinking of writing another Minecraft themed story. If you're interested, keep in touch with me!

Well, that's all I pretty much wanted to say. Thank you all for your support and input! You're all wonderful!]

~Dahunts a.k.a Shawn Ecker


End file.
